This past week has been an exciting one for our family. Our oldest daughter, Gabriella, came home from a month long camp experience. Although she had written us letters and the camp had uploaded pictures, it felt as if she had been gone for months and we were thrilled to have her back

In true Hazan tradition, the first thing she wanted upon coming home was a good meal. “They even ruined salad,” she had bemoaned in one of her letters. I hate to think what she subsisted on.

So, what did Marcella Hazan’s granddaughter want for her first meal? Pasta of course! Not just any pasta, it had to be homemade egg pasta that she would help make.

Photo by Lael Hazan

In her honor, Giuliano created fabulous pappardelle with peppers and sausage. The sauce was savory and sweet without being cloying.

As he always does, Giuliano peeled the peppers that he put into the sauce. The skin of the pepper is harsh but when it is peeled, the pepper’s sweet flavor comes through. I’ve also never understood why Italian sausage in America always has fennel in it. For this recipe, and most Hazan recipes, fennel won’t work, so ask your grocer for plain sausage.

This sauce is quick to make and is great comfort food. Gabriella perked right up and decided her father should teach cooking lessons at the camp because she wants to go again next year!

1. Peel the peppers, remove the core and seeds, and cut into 1-inch squares.

2. Peel and finely chop the onion. Put it with the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet and place over medium high heat. Sauté until the onion turns to a rich golden color, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage, breaking it up into small chunks with a wooden spoon. Once the sausage is lightly browned, 2-3 minutes, add the peppers, season lightly with salt, and continue cooking until they are lightly colored, 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and add them to the pan. Season with salt and continue cooking until the tomatoes are no longer watery, 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Cook the pasta and toss with sauce along with the butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

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I love to eat, write, talk, blog, teach; and think about FOOD. My husband Giuliano and I run a cooking school near Verona Italy and teach about Italian food. I was fortunate to have Marcella Hazan was my mother-in-law. In addition to being an award winning freelance writer for multiple outlets, I assist Allegrini Estates with their social media projects.

One comment

I am chuckling under my breath imagining your daughter eating camp food! Lucky girl to come home to Papa’s homemade pasta. And the homecoming is sweet at any age – we just spent 2 weeks with our 20 year old son who has been away since March and it was wonderful. Sadly, I didn’t cook for him!